Lincoln's Pride Ch. 12

Thank you all for your messages and comments! I know some people are going to be upset with this chapter, but I promise it is important and builds to something better in the next one! -Emri

-+-{Lincoln's Pride}-+-

-'[Part 12]'-

"What the fuck?" I whispered to myself as I watched a strange guy walking up the front driveway. It was two in the morning and the house was completely silent. I was up getting water. It had been an awful day. I hadn't heard from Samir and it was the first time he had missed our video chat since I'd left Satra. I was so worried about him. Silence between us was rare and painful. He needed me like I needed him. I couldn't sleep without knowing he was ok.

I set the cup down on the counter and went towards the window next to the front door. He had stopped midway up the driveway and was looking around and checking something on his phone. In the dim light, I couldn't make out much more than his figure, tall and strong.

He took another step towards the house and the security light came on. He froze. He looked Arab or Hispanic with a sharp nose and spikey, black hair. He was young, maybe a year older than me, and wore a tight, sleeveless blue shirt with jeans and trainers. He darted over to the safety of the shadows and my instincts took over.

It had been a long day. Not only had Samir gone silent, but Bilaal, after our play session, had decided I was nothing more than a weak bottom sub boy who needed to be put in his place. Every time we'd crossed paths, he'd rub my ass or pecs and talk down to me like I needed his protection, his reassuring touch. I had to keep reminding him that I wasn't a lost and scared boy.

He'd find me and ask if I was worried, try to comfort me with assurances that Samir would be ok and would contact me soon. I needed to remind him that I wasn't a fragile boy, wasn't a desperate hole. Caleb wasn't helpful either, he had split the day between reconnecting with Emerson and chasing after Bilaal with persistent, flirty overtures. It did keep Bilaal busy while I tried to figure out what was going on with Samir.

Caleb, Emerson's friend since childhood and Samir's ex-love, was looking healthier than the last time I saw him. He had been taking care of himself and Samir had said he was actually doing well with the business here. With the pressure of an Arab master gone, he seemed to become a man on his own.

The stranger paused in the shadows for a minute. I remembered there was a side door from the laundry that went out. I saw it earlier in the day during my exploration. I wanted to stop him before he got inside the house, but I also wanted to trap him before he could run off. I wanted to know how he got in through the gate and why Bilaal wasn't awake and doing his job. With the anxiety of Samir's disappearance, I had a slim hope that this lurking character may know something. He did look Arab after all.

I darted back through the kitchen and into the laundry room. I punched in the disarm code that only disarmed the one door closest to that keypad. It made a small chirp, nothing too alarming. I eased open that side door and closed it gently.

Creeping around the side of the house, I heard him typing on his phone. The idiot had his sound on so it made little clicking sounds as he furiously typed his message and then the little whooshing sound of the text being sent. I peeked around the side to see him staring down at his phone and then looking towards the circle of light around the front door.

A chill went through me. I realized I'd gone outside in only a pair of tight briefs. Worse, they were the white ones Samir liked to see me in that showed off my bulge and had a patch of sheer material in the back that showed off the shadow of my hole.

I didn't normally parade around like that, but it was 2 AM and I had just sneaked to the kitchen for water. The house was silent and dark. I didn't expect to encounter a prowler. This was no time for modesty though. I had Emerson to protect. With Samir missing, I was clinging to the thought that something crazy was happening. This stranger lurking on the side of the house only fueled that.

I got a few inches from him, close enough to smell his cheap body spray. He must have saved a lot of money on it because he'd applied it liberally. I was barefoot and so quiet that he hadn't registered my presence in the dark alcove. He just kept checking his phone and looking around to the front of the house.

"Sup, dude?" I whispered in a deep tone and he turned on me. He dropped his phone and jumped back against the wall.

"The fuck?" he yelled and stared at me in shock for about a second. He sprang into action and darted towards the gate. He didn't even pause to get his phone. I didn't need long to catch up with him and knock him to the ground.

I jumped forward and elbowed him in the back of the head. He tumbled forward hitting the pavement. I landed on his back but still hit my arm against the concrete. I grabbed his arm as he tried to get back up and I pulled it sharply behind his back and forced it upwards until he yelped.

"Fuck, man! Ouch!" He begged, but he was already down.

I heard some scuffling behind me and turned to see Bilaal running out of the house towards me.

"You got him? Is he alone?" Bilaal yelled. He was wearing the same blue lounge shorts he'd had on when we went to bed. He was wielding a baseball bat, and his chest was heaving as he ran towards me.

"Just him. He's down, no thanks to you," I shot.

"What the fuck, dude? You invited me here! Get off me!" The stranger yowled as I ground my knee into his back.

"Who is he?" Bilaal said. He ignored my jab, and was more concerned about securing the situation.

"I thinks he's one of you. You brought a bat! Good! Bash his head!" I said. My heart was racing in my chest. The stranger had been docile after his initial squirming, but my comment brought another round of fighting from him.

"Dude! You invited me here!" He protested again.

"Lincoln, get off him! We're not bashing heads! It's ok, I can secure him. Let's find out why he's here before we decide what to do with him," Bilaal urged. I didn't move though. I pushed my knee harder into his back until he stopped squirming.

"I've got it under control," I said coldly. He wasn't about to claim my victory.

The stranger started to get to his feet. I was ready to go at him again, but Bilaal held me back.

"Who the fuck are you?" Bilaal demanded as the stranger rose and looked at us with wide, dark eyes. He held up his hands to us like he was surrendering. I noticed a cut on both his arms from the hard driveway.

"This is too crazy man! I came to meet a 'Caleb.' We hooked up on the app. He gave me the address and the gate code. He said to wait for him outside. Is this some fucked up sex cult?" the man asked. He started to walk back towards his phone in the grass, but Bilaal raised the bat.

"Don't move!" Bilaal barked.

"It's cool. Let me just get my phone and go. K?" The man said. Bilaal nodded for him to walk.

"Yasir! You made it!" Caleb yelled from the front door. He looked freshly showered with shorts and a small blue tank top that showed he had been investing in his fitness since Samir and I had been away. He was Samir's age but had been taking better care of himself in our absence. He bounded towards us with his light hair still damp from the shower.

"He's leaving now. Don't stop him," Bilaal said and put his hand out to stop Caleb. It hit him in the chest and Caleb just looked at Bilaal with the same adoring eyes he had used all day in his efforts to flirt with him. Caleb didn't care what kind of handsome Arab was in front of him. He wanted them all. With me calmed, he traded me for Caleb against his chest.

"I'm out. You guys are fucking weird," Yasir, the now named stranger, rolled his eyes at Caleb and went to get his phone. He muttered something angry under his breath but Caleb was already focused on Bilaal holding him back against his chest.

"I told you Caleb causes problems," I said to Bilaal.

"It wouldn't have been a problem if you weren't out here playing night stalker in your panties," Caleb said and noted my briefs with a wry laugh.

"That's enough, boys," Bilaal said. He let go of Caleb and walked Yasir to the gate. He secured it behind him as I headed back towards the door to look at my cuts. Caleb waited as though he needed Bilaal's escort.

"You do NOT invite men here without my approval! You put everyone at risk. What kind of idiot are you?," Bilaal fumed at Caleb.

"I couldn't sleep. It's too tense here," Caleb whined.

"Let's all just get back to bed! We'll deal with this in the morning... Oh Lincoln! You're bleeding. You look pretty banged up... Go in the bathroom and I'll get the first aid kit," he said when we got inside and he saw me in the light. He looked down at my white briefs made transparent by the wet grass and dirtied from the pavement. He locked the door and reset the alarm.

"I'm fine. If you did your job, I'd be better," I said. He looked at me with confusion and then swallowed the lump of his pride stuck in his throat.

I went off to my bedroom and closed the door behind me. I only had a simple cut on my right arm. It looked worse than it was. I rinsed it off and applied some of the liquid bandage that burned away any infection.

I took a picture of myself in the bathroom mirror with my arm held up to show the cut. I sent it to Samir with the tagline "I caught a prowler and fucked him up pretty badly." I knew he would get a laugh out of that.

He still hadn't responded to any of my texts or calls. I was worried. I'd asked Ali about it when he had the video chat with Emerson. He looked worried as well, but like he did with Emerson, he held back details from me. He just kept saying that it was fine and Samir was just busy. I could tell in his eyes that something was very wrong.

I changed the white briefs for a pair of grey sleep shorts. I came out of the closet to see Bilaal sitting on my bed.

"Still no response?" he said with a nod to my phone.

I shook my head.

"Me either. I'm sure he's alright, Lincoln. Do you need me to hold you so you can sleep? You must be pretty shook up after that," Bilaal said.

"I think Caleb needs that. He looked pretty shook up," I said dismissively and went to the other side of the bed.

"I'm not here for Caleb. Samir approved his visit, but it's you I'm here for," Bilaal said. I got under the covers and checked my phone to see Samir still hadn't contacted me. Bilaal reached over and put his hand on the back of my neck as though I needed comforting.

"I don't need you here. I can't count on you protecting our house. You're no use to me. You're not my lion. This may just be a job to you, or some G.I. Joe fantasy, but I care about Emerson and his boys. With Ali and Samir away, I'm the man here," I said and looked him square in the eyes. His eyes went through a quick flipbook of emotions; shock, hurt, anger, back to hurt.

"Just a job? If you were my boy, I'd fight the world to get back to you," Bilaal said as I looked down at my phone. My eyes slowly raised to see him looking at me with the hunger Samir usually held.

"Oh," I said, not sure how to respond. His hard lips eased into a smile as his dark eyes twinkled.

"Good night, Lincoln," He said and rose from my bed. He turned my light off and closed my door. I laid there fighting with myself until sleep called the match.

+++

I slept through breakfast. The sun was high and it didn't look fresh. I didn't normally sleep so late, but last night had gone into extra innings. I reached for my phone, but it was gone. I dove out of the bed and scanned the floor to see if it had fallen... it wasn't there. I looked in the bathroom even though I remember checking it every two minutes before I fell asleep. It should have been here, should have been waiting for me.

My stomach twisted at the sudden understanding that Bilaal must have sneaked in and taken it.

I raced out of the room in my sleep shorts. I saw Emerson and the boys in the backyard enjoying the sun. I ran through the living room and into the kitchen where Bilaal was hunched over the bar looking bleary as he sipped his coffee.

He had dressed for the day with a tight blue polo shirt and jeans. His eyes startled when he saw me rush-in, red-faced and angry.

"I can't find my phone," I said, deciding to not start off with an accusation. As much as I wanted to lurch across the counter and punch him, my first priority was to track down Samir.

"I know. I spoke with Ali and he decided it was best to take it. He's worried about you and the anxiety this is causing. Checking your phone every two minutes will only make it worse. Let the men handle the business.," Bilaal said.

I was ready to fight, but I remembered Samir and that look of disappointment he got when I lost my temper. Suddenly though, I remembered my laptop. It was connected to my phone. Bilaal and I stared each other down across the granite island.

"Ok then. I guess he wants to protect me," I said and lowered my eyes so he'd think he'd won. I needed to get out without alerting him. I'd play along until I got my phone back.

"It's for your best, little one. If you need an update or something calming, I'm here for you." Bilaal calmed at my sudden return to compliant sub boy. He reached across and squeezed my hand.

"I'll go get dressed," I said and lowered my eyes in respect.

"Sounds good. I'm going to reset the security codes. I'll keep you safe, Lincoln. I promise," Bilaal said. His Arab confidence had returned. His boys were in line.

I went to my room and found the laptop in the charging drawer. I opened it and tried to locate my phone, but of course he had disabled that. Luckily though I had my contacts and messages synced. There was no news from Samir, but my contacts had more promising leads.

Zaid didn't answer when I video-called, so I moved on to Ali. He had always kept me at a distance. He kissed my cheek when we passed, but it was more of an acknowledgment that I belonged in his tribe than any real care. He knew Emerson, his husband, held me as a close friend, but he treated me as his brother's property. I didn't blame him. After the mess Caleb had caused, he probably worried that I'd be an equal disappointment.

"Lincoln, what is wrong?" Ali said without emotion when he accepted my video chat. He was sitting in his office wearing a tailored suit that accentuated his strong physique. He was a very handsome older man who wore the weight of leading his family with reserved, icy dignity. He only melted when Emerson or his boys were around.

"I need to know where he is," I said as I sat cross legged on my bed.

"He's safe. I'm sure of it. He can't contact you right now, but he's ok." Ali looked at me stone-faced.

"He's dead, isn't he?" I asked. My stomach knotted at the thought.

"No! Of course not! Why would you think this?" Ali's eyes softened.

"Then why are you so calm when you have no clue where he is?" I asked.

"I don't want to discuss this further. Things are being handled and I won't discuss our business on an open line with my youngest brother's cub. You are safe, my boys are safe. Samir will contact you when he can." Ali was getting annoyed. I felt the knot in my stomach tighten.

"I don't know what I'd do without him," I said quietly. It hit me how lost I was without him.

"I know, sweet boy. He loves you so much. I promise you will know something soon," Ali sighed.

"I need to know he's ok." I lowered my eyes, this time for real. It wasn't my pride or need to be right. I was his boy. I needed my lion.

"I know. Listen... I can't give you the details, but he's ok. He has important work to do. I'll tell you more tomorrow... give Emi a hug for me. Don't excite him with your anxiety," Ali said. He disconnected the chat and my screen went dark.

I put on swim shorts, a tight white tank, and my sunglasses to head outside. Caleb was out there with Emerson, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. There were sitting on lounge chairs, watching the boys splash around in the pool and signing to each other. Everyone was happy and going about their business like our home in Satra wasn't being invaded by the Arizen.

"Look who woke up! Did you have anymore late night crime-fighting? Or just stay up wrestling with Bilaal?" Caleb joked when he saw me coming towards them. I grabbed a towel from the bin near the glass doors and went to sit beside them.

The knot in my stomach twisted, but I said nothing. I signed hello to Emerson and laid my towel over the empty lounge chair on the other side of Caleb. He shifted towards me and read my mood.

"Still no word?" He said and signed for Emerson. I shook my head and looked over at Emerson to see his face fill with worry.

"I'm sure he is ok. Ali would do anything to protect him." Emerson signed.

"I just wish someone could find him," I signed back.

"He's going to be ok, Link. They would never put him in danger! I know when he gets to a phone you'll be the first person he contacts. I'm worried too, but I trust him," Caleb signed and said. He reached over and put his hand on my shoulder.

"What do you care? I'm sure he's put enough aside to keep you unemployed for life," I shot back.

"I love him too, Lincoln. You've had him six months. I had him six years. I loved him enough to find him you. He wasn't right for me, but you two just seem to work. You keep each other challenged without having it turn into something ugly. I see how happy you make him. He would never risk losing that by putting himself in danger," Caleb said. Samir had only occasionally filled me in on some of his epic fights with Caleb. Samir's right eyebrow started to twitch at the mere mention of Caleb.

Caleb's normally carefree tone was gone though. He looked at me like he meant it, like he understood the seriousness of it all. He reached for my hand and slipped his fingers between mine.

"Thanks, man," I said. He came over to share my lounge chair. I moved over to make room and he slid under my arm. He put his head against my shoulder. His other hand came to rest between my pecs.

"It's going to be ok. I've been through enough of their roller coasters. He will come back to you all hyped up from victory... and fuck your brains out," Caleb laughed. He was trying to put me at ease.

I'd forgotten how much history he had with Samir. It bonded us in a weird way. I still found remnants of their relationship. It was very different from what I had with him. We shared very different sides of the same coin.

Samir lost his confidence with Caleb, gave in to his tantrums and manipulations. They'd ended their adolescence with each other and knew too many of the others' mistakes. With me, he was a man; strong, decisive, in control. He'd learned his lessons, and was determined to not repeat them.

Holding Caleb under my arm felt strangely comforting. It was a piece of Samir, and felt like home. Emerson moved closer and we all three signed and talked about what Caleb had been up to in our absence. It was a welcome distraction until my stomach started to growl from hunger.